We keep waiting for the "ultimate-ness" of our Ultimate Driving Machine to wear off. But except for a few niggling details, the Bimmer continues to win favor from the Edmund's staff.
The majority of complaints focus on the already-established space deficit in the rear-seat and trunk area. Besides the regularly mentioned lack of legroom in the back seat, one of our staffers discovered that he could barely fit a child safety seat in the BMW's 11 cubic feet of trunk space. At least the trunk is easy to access, requiring only a light squeeze on the pressure latch to "pop" the lid open. This same driver noticed that the rear doors need a healthy shove to close tightly (making a reassuring "thunk" when they do).
Our 3 Series made its first trip to the dealer this month to address a pair of technical service bulletins. The first related to a tendency for the side airbags to deploy when going over speed bumps at high speeds, while the second dealt with a connector problem in the brake assembly that might cause a loss of braking ability. Beverly Hills BMW checked out both items free of charge and had the car back to us on the same day.
Although some earlier comments had suggested a stiff and temperamental clutch, two of our Andretti wannabes rated the BMW's shifting action as ideal. They admit that it takes more concentration than your average slushbox found in most of today's manual transmissions, but if you invest the energy in really driving the 3 Series, you're rewarded with a truly satisfying experience.
That same philosophy can be applied effectively to the entire vehicle. With its 17-inch wheels and low-profile tires, one driver commented that he felt intimately connected with the road. Unfortunately, that included every crack and bump in Los Angeles' broken pavement. The sport-package wheels definitely increase the fun factor, as well as the bump factor.
Our photographer made a special note about the 3 Series' exterior design. He feels the car "has some of the best looking lines out there." Features like the plastic headlight covers, sleek door handles and smooth cabin profile give a look of motion and speed. The thick spokes on the 17-inch wheels add to its aggressive look.
Staffers generally praise the interior layout, but one of them noticed how the cupholders are located beneath the center armrest, making it difficult to utilize the armrest while simultaneously enjoying your drink. Another problem centers around the strangely labeled buttons on the steering wheel. These buttons operate our BMW's cruise control, but nothing about their markings helps to identify their purpose. Similar confusion surrounded the "ASC" button in our 3 Series. One of our drivers assumed that, since this button was located near the radio, it must have something to do with the sound system. It was only after seeing the exclamation point on the dash that he got nervous and stopped to check the owner's manual; discovering that it was the Automatic Stability Control button. While usually innocuous, mistakes like this are not uncommon with the BMW's hieroglyphic-like markings.
Everyone agrees that the Harmon Kardon sound system does not deliver what its name (and price) suggest in terms of sound or reception quality. We have come to love the little things like raising and lowering all four windows just by holding the key turned in the driver's door and the one-touch up and down window switches in the center console.
Now if we could just remember what all those weird-looking buttons on the radio do, we'd be in good shape.
Total Odometer Reading: 5,950
Best Fuel Economy: 19.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Technical service bulletins on side airbags and brake module connector.
